Street joins PhillyCarShare:
drives hybrid gas-electric vehicle on first trip

Presented By Robert Christian
Editor & Publisher

Philadelphia Mayor John Street joined PhillyCarShare Friday, becoming the first mayor on record to share a car with local residents.

At 1:30 p.m. Mayor Street received his personalized key and hopped into the driver's seat of a shiny Toyota Prius at 15th and Spruce Streets in Center City. The Mayor's staff joined him in the passenger and back seats. "I can do this myself," the Mayor said cheerfully.

The Mayor joins several hundred City employees who already have joined PhillyCarShare, in a pioneering project that has helped Mayor Street trim nearly $2 million annually from the City's budget. Philadelphia is first in the world to replace several hundred administrative vehicles with cars that government employees share with local residents.

City Councilman Frank DiCicco says that, "Along with this symbolic action, I hope the Mayor will take a more active role in educating the public about the benefits of car sharing." DiCicco hopes the Mayor will actively support communities and civic associations who wish to get PhillyCarShare started in their neighborhoods.

The Mayor's last-minute request required no special accommodation: about 40% of all PhillyCarShare trips are booked within three hours of driving, since last-minute availability tends to be excellent.

PhillyCarShare provides the convenience of driving without the hassles of ownership. Members rent cars by the hour, including hybrid gas-electric vehicles, wagons, and a pick-up truck, from 22 neighborhood locations in Central Philadelphia and Mt. Airy. PhillyCarShare covers insurance, reserved parking, and gasoline, while members pay for the hours and miles they drive. A Transportation Research Board study reports that members have sold or avoided purchasing over 1,000 cars, drive less, take transit more, and report saving about $4,000 annually (each) versus the costs of car ownership.